Pencil-clip.



O. F. EHRLE.

PENCIL CLIP.

APPLICATION FILED 00125, 1912.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

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OSCAR F. EHBLE, 0F LONG BEACH, NEW YORK.

PENCIL-CLIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914!.

Application filed October 25, 1912. Serial No. 727,672.

To all whom it may cone-em Be it known that I, OSCAR F. EI-IRLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Long Beach, county of Queens, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pencil-Clips, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to pencil clips or holders, for bookkeepers, salesmen, and other persons who have frequent use for a pencil or pen but also have to handle merchandise or other articles. Thus a salesman requires the use of his hands in taking down and displaying goods, and upon making a sale must use a pencil to write out the bill or sale-check.

It is therefore the object of my present invention to provide a clip or holder by which the pencil can be fastened to the hand and held in a position in which the pencil does not interfere with or impede the movements of the hand and fingers, but permitting the pencil to be instantly brought into writing position. Upon release of the pencil by the fingers the pencil is automatically moved or swung to its idle or non-use position.

To this and other ends the invention consists in the novel features of construction and combinations of elements hereinafter described, and more particularly set forth in the claims.

One form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows my improved pencil holder applied to the hand, and in dotted lines the position of the pencil when the same is in use. Fig. 2 is a front view of the device, on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a similar view, with the front broken away to show the interior parts. Fig. 4C is a section on line TV-IV of Fig. 2.

In the device illustrated, 10 designates a circular, saucer-shaped or dished base, having curved finger clips 11 diametrically opposite each other and composed preferably of spring metal. These clips serve to hold the device on the forefinger, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The base 10 is centrally apertured to receive a tubular pivot or eyelet 12, and struck up from its bottom are two lugs 13, 14;, spaced angularly less than 180 and one of them for example the lug 13, nearer the center of the pivot 12 than the other. The top 15 of the device is also a. dished circular piece having a central aperture to receive the pivot eyelet, so that when the two parts are placed together with their concave faces inwardly disposed they will form a flat circular chamber, as shown. The pivot eyelet 12 serves to hold the parts together and at the same time permit relative rotary movement. The top is also provided with punched-up lugs, 16, 17, less than 180 apart and the first nearer the center than the other. In assembling the device the lugs 13 and 16 come inside the lugs 17 and 1 1 respectively, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4:, so that as the top piece 15 turns on the axis of the pivot 12 the lugs may pass each other. Encircling the pivot 12, inside the chamber formed by the top and bottom pieces, is a coil spring 18 having its hooked ends 19, 20, engaging the lugs 1 l16 and 1317, respectively. It will therefore be apparent that if the top piece be rotated one or the other of the lugs 16, 17 will flex the spring, so that when the top piece is released it will instantly swing back to the neutral position by the tension of the flexed spring. Thus if the top be turned clock-wise (as viewed in Fig. 2) the lug 16 will flex the end 20, as shown in Fig. 3.

Extending downwardly and rearwardly from the top piece 15 is a pencil clip 21, having spring fingers 22, between which the pencil is thrust when the device is to be used.

The device is worn on the forefinger as shown in Fig. 1, and the inclination of the pencil clip is such that the pointed end of the pencil lies to the rear in the palm of the hand. WVhen the pencil is needed forwriting the pointed end is swung forward, thus rotating the top piece 15 in the plane of the pencil and flexing the spring 18. WV hen the user has finished writing he simply releases the pencil, whereupon it is swung back to the original position. Inasmuch as the top piece 15 can turn in either direction, it is immaterial whether the device he placed on the finger with the pencil clip extending rearwardly and downwardly, or forwardly and upwardly; but to avoid jabbing the pencil point into the other objects the pencil should be inserted into the clip with the point to the rear, as shown.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction illustrated, but can be embodied in other Lin forms without departure from its proper spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims.

I claim 1. in a device of the kind describeifl, in combination, a base adapted to be removably mounted on a linger of the hand, a top-piece on said base, apivot securing the base and top piece together and permitting a relative movement of rotation, a coil spring encircling the pivot and having its ends con nected with the base and the top piece, and a pencil. clip carried by the top piece.

in a. device of the kind described, in combination, a base adapted to be removably mounted on a finger of the hand, a top piece pivoted on the base, lugs on the base and the top picce a spring engaging the lugs whereby to be [flexed as the top piece is rotated, and a pencil clip carried by the top piece.

In a. device of the kind described, in combination, a dished base having means for detachably engaging a linger of the hand, a dished top piece arranged on the base, the base and top piece providing a chamber between them, a pivot securing the base and top piece together and permitting rotation of the latter, a spring inside said chamber and arranged to be flexed by rotation of the top piece, and a pencil clip carried by the top piece.

In a device of the kind described, in

roe neat;

combination, a circular base and a circular top piece cooperating to provide a closed chamber between them, a pivot securing the base and top piece together and permitting rotation oi the latter, lugs extending into said chamber from the top piece and from the base, a coil spring encircling the pivot inside the chamber and having its ends arranged to cooperate with said lugs whereby rotation of the top piece in either direction will flex the spring, and a. pencil clip carried by the top piece.

In a device of the kind described, a circular base and a circular top piece, a pivot connecting said parts and permitting rot-ation of the top piece on the base, lugs extending inwardly from the base and the top piece, the adjacent lugs being in radial aline nient, a spring between the top piece and the base, encircling the pivot and having its ends extending radially into cooperation with said lugs, whereby rotation of the top piece in either direction will flex the spring, a pencil clip carried by the top piece, and means for removably mounting the base on a linger of the hand.

in testimony whereof I altix my signature in the presence of two siil'iscribing witnesses.

\Vitnesses:

M. Lawson I)1' ICR,

inn'r. R. SANDM'AN.

Uripiea of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner or" I-atent-s,

"Washington, "D. C.

(ill 

